Killer deal! I picked these up a while ago at $230 to add them to my collection (50ish headphones ATM) since I was curious how they compared to other HE-series 'phones and they are insanely good for the price. Still the best headphone I have heard under $300. Period. I personally think they deserve more attention.
Detailed, great bass slam, respond well to pad rolling and EQ, all while being light on the noggin. They also probably have the best looking cup finish of any Hifiman, IMO (although it's a fingerprint magnet). They aren't exactly easy to drive, though, so you do need an amp for them but nothing crazy.
Certainly This is the majority of my collection (34) and the ones in my main listening rotation (my HE560v4 is on the second shelf from the top, 3rd headphone from the left). https://imgur.com/a/RouPxOn There are another 10 not pictured here that are stashed on random shelfs and wherever I had space and I didn't feel like taking that many pics. The rest are IEMs or in their boxes and stored away because they aren't great but aren't valuable enough to bother selling.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
As a person who has upgrade upwards several times throughout the years, I can attest to this. I started out 16 years ago thinking whatever Sony MDRs at the time ($75 at Fry's) was good but got tired of replacing them over and over again since they broke easily so I got the Sennheiser HD650s around the same time. The HD650s served me well over a decade. Since then, more recently, I got the Focal Utopias about 2 years ago and just this year, the Hifiman Susvara.
You definitely will hear diminishing returns but I will attest to that with caveats. First, there is still a huge sound upgrade (in general, depends on the actual comparisons) within the sub $500 range. Going from a $200 headphones to $500 there is quite a noticeable difference. After $500, there are severe diminishing returns though this will wane over time when your brain gets adjusted/habituated to your current headphones' sound signature.
I used to think my HD650s which I used for a good 10+ years were the best sounding headphones ever, until I got curious and decided to jump on an open box deal for a Utopia (which was RMAed for a brand new one later no extra charge due to a headband defect). It was a night and day difference in sound quality/clarity. There's not as much a difference going from a Utopia to a Susvara, but as polygonbronson pointed out, it's a different flavor, but I will say the Susvara is better overall.
I had a skeptic friend who said he wouldn't be able to hear a difference in sound quality and when I had him sample all the headphones I collected over the years, he couldn't stop wanting to listen to the Susvaras. He said for the first time he thought of music as something that could be enjoyed or relaxing to listen to. He walked away wanting to get a decent pair so I recommended the Edition XS for his budget which turned out great for him. (He had bought those noise canceling Bose headphones from Costco previously, which aren't exactly cheap)
Don't get into thinking there's not a big increase going closer towards the $500 headphones, there's lots of headroom improvement. It's past that price point that you need to rationalize is it a 'like' or a full blown 'hobby?' A good $500 pair will last you well over a decade. If it turns into a hobby, you will be chasing that better sound for a lifetime.
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05-26-2022 at 09:54 AM.
Killer deal! I picked these up a while ago at $230 to add them to my collection (50ish headphones ATM) since I was curious how they compared to other HE-series 'phones and they are insanely good for the price. Still the best headphone I have heard under $300. Period. I personally think they deserve more attention.
Detailed, great bass slam, respond well to pad rolling and EQ, all while being light on the noggin. They also probably have the best looking cup finish of any Hifiman, IMO (although it's a fingerprint magnet). They aren't exactly easy to drive, though, so you do need an amp for them but nothing crazy.
Killer deal! I picked these up a while ago at $230 to add them to my collection (50ish headphones ATM) since I was curious how they compared to other HE-series 'phones and they are insanely good for the price. Still the best headphone I have heard under $300. Period. I personally think they deserve more attention.
Detailed, great bass slam, respond well to pad rolling and EQ, all while being light on the noggin. They also probably have the best looking cup finish of any Hifiman, IMO (although it's a fingerprint magnet). They aren't exactly easy to drive, though, so you do need an amp for them but nothing crazy.
Mind if I pick your brain a bit? I recently picked up a pair a Sennheiser HD 560S. I've been toying with the idea of getting my first DAC and/or AMP but I want it powerful enough to power my next set of cans and I would like to try planar. No cans above $300 though and the Sundara seem very tempting. Would something like the Topping DX3 Pro+ provide enough power to get everything the Sundara or something similar has to offer?
Would a balanced amp be worth it if I'm sticking with "budget" (under $300) headphones and don't have a flac collection or sub to a HD music service?
Mind if I pick your brain a bit? I recently picked up a pair a Sennheiser HD 560S. I've been toying with the idea of getting my first DAC and/or AMP but I want it powerful enough to power my next set of cans and I would like to try planar. No cans above $300 though and the Sundara seem very tempting. Would something like the Topping DX3 Pro+ provide enough power to get everything the Sundara or something similar has to offer?
Would a balanced amp be worth it if I'm sticking with "budget" (under $300) headphones and don't have a flac collection or sub to a HD music service?
I don't have the topping but a do have a similar spec Fiio K5 Pro and it does a great job driving almost all of my cans except my 600ohm Beyers and my HE6se v2. So the topping should be a decent choice. I wouldn't worry about balanced, imo. it only really matters in general if you need the higher power output unless the amp is engineered badly, in general the is sound the same on se and balanced. But I'm not am amp guru, so ymmv.
I'm listening to my He560v4 on my k5 pro right now on high gain, volume at 10 o'clock and it sounds great.
Killer deal! I picked these up a while ago at $230 to add them to my collection (50ish headphones ATM) since I was curious how they compared to other HE-series 'phones and they are insanely good for the price. Still the best headphone I have heard under $300. Period. I personally think they deserve more attention.
Detailed, great bass slam, respond well to pad rolling and EQ, all while being light on the noggin. They also probably have the best looking cup finish of any Hifiman, IMO (although it's a fingerprint magnet). They aren't exactly easy to drive, though, so you do need an amp for them but nothing crazy.
Certainly This is the majority of my collection (34) and the ones in my main listening rotation (my HE560v4 is on the second shelf from the top, 3rd headphone from the left). https://imgur.com/a/RouPxOn There are another 10 not pictured here that are stashed on random shelfs and wherever I had space and I didn't feel like taking that many pics. The rest are IEMs or in their boxes and stored away because they aren't great but aren't valuable enough to bother selling.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Certainly This is the majority of my collection (34) and the ones in my main listening rotation (my HE560v4 is on the second shelf from the top, 3rd headphone from the left). https://imgur.com/a/RouPxOn There are another 10 not pictured here that are stashed on random shelfs and wherever I had space and I didn't feel like taking that many pics. The rest are IEMs or in their boxes and stored away because they aren't great but aren't valuable enough to bother selling.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Great collection! I must resist this deal to not go further down the rabbit hole, but man this is tempting....
Certainly This is the majority of my collection (34) and the ones in my main listening rotation (my HE560v4 is on the second shelf from the top, 3rd headphone from the left). https://imgur.com/a/RouPxOn There are another 10 not pictured here that are stashed on random shelfs and wherever I had space and I didn't feel like taking that many pics. The rest are IEMs or in their boxes and stored away because they aren't great but aren't valuable enough to bother selling.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Certainly This is the majority of my collection (34) and the ones in my main listening rotation (my HE560v4 is on the second shelf from the top, 3rd headphone from the left). https://imgur.com/a/RouPxOn There are another 10 not pictured here that are stashed on random shelfs and wherever I had space and I didn't feel like taking that many pics. The rest are IEMs or in their boxes and stored away because they aren't great but aren't valuable enough to bother selling.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Inpressive collection, indeed. I spoted Edition XX, which I believe is similar to 'budget' Edition XS, which just blew my mind at its price/quality ratio. It obviously is not within HE560v4's price category, but after purchasing XS, I just gave away all my other stuff like Sundara and 660s and never looked back.
Certainly This is the majority of my collection (34) and the ones in my main listening rotation (my HE560v4 is on the second shelf from the top, 3rd headphone from the left). https://imgur.com/a/RouPxOn There are another 10 not pictured here that are stashed on random shelfs and wherever I had space and I didn't feel like taking that many pics. The rest are IEMs or in their boxes and stored away because they aren't great but aren't valuable enough to bother selling.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Wow, that's quite a collection, but how do you still maintain a fat wallet with...oh wait wrong site.
Certainly This is the majority of my collection (34) and the ones in my main listening rotation (my HE560v4 is on the second shelf from the top, 3rd headphone from the left). https://imgur.com/a/RouPxOn There are another 10 not pictured here that are stashed on random shelfs and wherever I had space and I didn't feel like taking that many pics. The rest are IEMs or in their boxes and stored away because they aren't great but aren't valuable enough to bother selling.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Wow- really impressive collection! Also nicely organized! I can't tell for sure, but do you happened to have Sundara in your collection? I've been wondering how the 560 compares. Thanks!
Certainly This is the majority of my collection (34) and the ones in my main listening rotation (my HE560v4 is on the second shelf from the top, 3rd headphone from the left). https://imgur.com/a/RouPxOn There are another 10 not pictured here that are stashed on random shelfs and wherever I had space and I didn't feel like taking that many pics. The rest are IEMs or in their boxes and stored away because they aren't great but aren't valuable enough to bother selling.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Very nice. I went down that hole once, then I got the focal utopia, and I sold/am selling all my other headphones.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank 1337haXXor
05-27-2022 at 06:27 AM.
Just a quick note, I picked these up last slickdeal posting a few months ago for like 230, but ended up returning them because they are absolutely not closed back, which is what I was looking for, despite Adorama listing them as such. I let them know, but it looks like Adorama still hasn't changed the listing details.
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Detailed, great bass slam, respond well to pad rolling and EQ, all while being light on the noggin. They also probably have the best looking cup finish of any Hifiman, IMO (although it's a fingerprint magnet). They aren't exactly easy to drive, though, so you do need an amp for them but nothing crazy.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
You definitely will hear diminishing returns but I will attest to that with caveats. First, there is still a huge sound upgrade (in general, depends on the actual comparisons) within the sub $500 range. Going from a $200 headphones to $500 there is quite a noticeable difference. After $500, there are severe diminishing returns though this will wane over time when your brain gets adjusted/habituated to your current headphones' sound signature.
I used to think my HD650s which I used for a good 10+ years were the best sounding headphones ever, until I got curious and decided to jump on an open box deal for a Utopia (which was RMAed for a brand new one later no extra charge due to a headband defect). It was a night and day difference in sound quality/clarity. There's not as much a difference going from a Utopia to a Susvara, but as polygonbronson pointed out, it's a different flavor, but I will say the Susvara is better overall.
I had a skeptic friend who said he wouldn't be able to hear a difference in sound quality and when I had him sample all the headphones I collected over the years, he couldn't stop wanting to listen to the Susvaras. He said for the first time he thought of music as something that could be enjoyed or relaxing to listen to. He walked away wanting to get a decent pair so I recommended the Edition XS for his budget which turned out great for him. (He had bought those noise canceling Bose headphones from Costco previously, which aren't exactly cheap)
Don't get into thinking there's not a big increase going closer towards the $500 headphones, there's lots of headroom improvement. It's past that price point that you need to rationalize is it a 'like' or a full blown 'hobby?' A good $500 pair will last you well over a decade. If it turns into a hobby, you will be chasing that better sound for a lifetime.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank polygonbronson
Detailed, great bass slam, respond well to pad rolling and EQ, all while being light on the noggin. They also probably have the best looking cup finish of any Hifiman, IMO (although it's a fingerprint magnet). They aren't exactly easy to drive, though, so you do need an amp for them but nothing crazy.
Detailed, great bass slam, respond well to pad rolling and EQ, all while being light on the noggin. They also probably have the best looking cup finish of any Hifiman, IMO (although it's a fingerprint magnet). They aren't exactly easy to drive, though, so you do need an amp for them but nothing crazy.
Would a balanced amp be worth it if I'm sticking with "budget" (under $300) headphones and don't have a flac collection or sub to a HD music service?
Would a balanced amp be worth it if I'm sticking with "budget" (under $300) headphones and don't have a flac collection or sub to a HD music service?
I don't have the topping but a do have a similar spec Fiio K5 Pro and it does a great job driving almost all of my cans except my 600ohm Beyers and my HE6se v2. So the topping should be a decent choice. I wouldn't worry about balanced, imo. it only really matters in general if you need the higher power output unless the amp is engineered badly, in general the is sound the same on se and balanced. But I'm not am amp guru, so ymmv.
I'm listening to my He560v4 on my k5 pro right now on high gain, volume at 10 o'clock and it sounds great.
Detailed, great bass slam, respond well to pad rolling and EQ, all while being light on the noggin. They also probably have the best looking cup finish of any Hifiman, IMO (although it's a fingerprint magnet). They aren't exactly easy to drive, though, so you do need an amp for them but nothing crazy.
50th? wow pics?
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
i hope you got a slickdeal on those stands
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Inpressive collection, indeed. I spoted Edition XX, which I believe is similar to 'budget' Edition XS, which just blew my mind at its price/quality ratio. It obviously is not within HE560v4's price category, but after purchasing XS, I just gave away all my other stuff like Sundara and 660s and never looked back.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Wow, that's quite a collection, but how do you still maintain a fat wallet with...oh wait wrong site.
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Wow- really impressive collection! Also nicely organized! I can't tell for sure, but do you happened to have Sundara in your collection? I've been wondering how the 560 compares. Thanks!
Just to be clear, I don't own any of what are considered "flagships," since the law of diminishing returns is brutal and I find variety more fun. Every headphone is like a different flavor of ice cream and when you can choose just the right flavor that fits the music and my mood, it's an awesome experience!
Very nice. I went down that hole once, then I got the focal utopia, and I sold/am selling all my other headphones.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank 1337haXXor